Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be angry & upset that DH didn’t want me to go to hospital?

324 replies

ThisWayDown · 26/12/2018 13:04

I’m in South Africa for a holiday with DH and DC. No family here but a friend. Today at the beach the waves were strong. I got knocked over by one and my knee gave way with a loud snap. I tore my anterior cruciatr ligament (ACL) 15 years ago when someone skied into me and had a reconstruction - it tore again some years later and I needed another. The way the knee sounded and hurt and not being able to stand on it made me really worry that I’d torn my ACL again.

DH helped me stand up and hobble over to our towels on the shore. He then said “we’re not going to A&E”. He was being slightly lighthearted but also totally serious. He said that’s because we went to A&E our last holiday due to a hand fracture I turned out to have.

We took the kids to get some dinner before heading back to our rented flat. As we went home on the bus, my knee became increasingly painful and in my view was swollen. DH said “oh shit” when I told him I was in pain and seemed angry. He said he was upset that I may have injured myself. He was caring but when I said I wanted to go to A&E he seemed to shut down, which he often does. He thought it was in my “best interests” not to but to get back to the apartment and rest and decide tomorrow, as it was “highly likely” that I wouldn’t need treatment and that the hospital wouldn’t be able to do anything. And the kids needed to get home. He thought I was being unreasonable going.

He’s not a doctor. I was angry that he’d - yet again - put what he thought should happen above what I did. He thought I should wait to the morning. When we got off the bus I told him to take the children home and I would call my friend to take me there. She didn’t answer. I said I’d take a cab. He said he wasn’t leaving me but he didn’t want to take the children to the hospital as that wasn’t in their best interests, so it was “an impossible situation”. He wanted me not to go. I said I was in considerable pain and I strongly suspected it was torn, and that I couldn’t believe he wanted to override that. We had a huge argument at the bus stop, in front of our kids SadBlush They wanted to come to the hospital. Eventually we all went in a cab.

The triage nurse sent me to wait to see a doctor. My family stayed with me for a while but I sent them home so the kids could go to bed. My friend eventually called but had been drinking so couldn’t drive over to see me.

My DH said again while here innA&E that he hadn’t wanted to go to A&E as we went on the last holiday. I said I didn’t realise there was a quota, regardless of whether someone needed treatment or not Hmm I am so upset that he wanted me to delay hospital treatment to the next morning or, better yet, not seek any. I am so livid and heartbroken by his irrationality, callousness and rigidity (again) that I put my friend and not him as my emergency contact and told DH I’d let the kids know how I was getting on but not him.

I strongly suspect he is on the autistic - one of our children is - and so does our ASD child’s psychologist and the couples therapisf we used to see. He agrees that he has traits sometimes but when pressed will deny he has it and refuse to seek a diagnosis or accept that some of his thinking and actions are, er, different and frankly come across as selfish and uncaring. He says he was worried about me, just felt it was much better for me if I slept on it and decided on A&E in the morning. I said that wasn’t his decision to make.

We’ve had a lovely holiday so far but I am so down with him not respecting my opinion and thinking it’s aporopriate to think he knows best. I’ve been waiting for hours to see a doctor and, apart from my children who have been so sweet and caring, I feel utterly alone. AIBU to think he’s BU?

OP posts:
ThisWayDown · 28/12/2018 09:32

Bollocks that grin was in reply to your last sentence in your last post as it made me laugh. I’ve now read your first post, the one you described as long, and yes you’ve completely got it. DH does accept and feels bad about how I felt he was being uncaring. And FWIW speaking to him made me realise that I’d misinterpreted his body language and few terse words; I thought he was really angry that I wanted to go to A&E, but he said he felt sick about my knee being injured again as, in his own words, “that would be awful” (for me). He was worried about me. But as he didn’t articulate this by word or gesture, and instead seemed pissed off, I felt dismissed. I do believe him that this is how he felt. And he’s certainly been very supportive since, as he was during when I had cancer. I think he gets overwhelmed by the thought of difficult things happening and sometimes his anxiety comes across as anger.

Bottom line: communication needs to be worked on and I already had someone in mind to see in the new year. DH is willing to do this.

OP posts:
bastardkitty · 28/12/2018 09:33

And PS - my ex was similar (note the ex) and got a bollocking from the doctor who told him I was in immense pain.

ThisWayDown · 28/12/2018 09:35

@Stoic sorry I don’t understand what you mean; what do you think could be more fundamental than just a difference of opinion?

OP posts:
TheStoic · 28/12/2018 09:39

what do you think could be more fundamental than just a difference of opinion?

Well, a whole lot of things. I’m kind of surprised at the question.

Is it just a matter of you being Yes to A&E in this instance, and him being No?

Or is it a general and regular lack of understanding of your feelings on his part?

IfyouseeRitaMoreno · 28/12/2018 09:43

YANBU but many posters are!

Booboostwo · 28/12/2018 09:45

THis last post where you describe how you and your DH misunderstood each other’s body language, gestures and intentions is exactly the sort of problem I have with my NT DH. Talking about it in detail to try to see it from the other person’s perspective and trying to learn lessons for the next ice can elk, not least because you see the other person was coming from a good place.

ThisWayDown · 28/12/2018 09:47

I have explained to DH btw that if he is worried about the health of me or the children in future then he really needs to say this rather than saying “Jesus Christ” and looking annoyed when I told him I think I may have torn my knee ligament and thought I should go to A&E then not saying anything. Other than “we went to A&E last holiday” when asked why he didn’t seem to agree I should go (at all -regardless of the time).

Btw once more for the cheap seats:

The only time I’ve been to A&E while abroad during my 19 years with DH is the first time I tore my knee ligament 17 years ago and two days ago.

We did go during our last time on holiday in the summer in the Lake Distruct - that’s the only other time we’ve been to A&E on holiday but that wasn’t due to an accident; my hand was fractured because of a degenerative thing with my bones that is exacerbated by the cancer I had (I don’t want to go into precise details but hopefully this makes sense).

OP posts:
ThisWayDown · 28/12/2018 09:52

@TheStoic I just wanted to clarify that the difference of opinion you meant was yes or no to A&E, as I thought I’d been clearer that this goes beyond that.

It’s a more fundamental problem definitely.

OP posts:
ThisWayDown · 28/12/2018 09:54

@Booboostwo that’s reassuring to know tbh! I’m guessing you’re not NT as you said your DH is? Or did you say that to show that it’s an issue that any type it couple can have?

OP posts:
Italiangreyhound · 28/12/2018 09:57

OP "Anyway I agree I overacted on the night and I did apologise for that. "

I really think there is no way I'm earth you lee him an apology.he was in the wrong 100%

Why he behaved as he did is for him to work out, please be strong, tgis thread is absolutely nuts and so many people say I g twattish things is actually incredibly depressing.

You seriously suspect yoir th is on the spectrum. This may be the reason he tried to stop you accessing medical care. If it is not the reason then he is just not very nice.

Italiangreyhound · 28/12/2018 10:03

swingofthings you clearly have not thread the thread.

"Taking tired kids in A&E to sit and wait for hours is not a nice thing to do."

The OP did not want to take the kids to A and E.

But even if a person did take their kids with them, that would be a perfectly acceptable thing to do.

A person must prioritize their! health as they* need to!

I am so angry that people are saying such moronic things! Mum injured verses kids s bit tired, prioritize the slightly tired!

"course they said they wanted to go because they had no idea how boring and long it would be." So now even boredom is prioritized over a woman's health!

Fuck that.

I really hope you never need medical attention, you don't seem able to identify the need for it!

Her 'oh' is looking after her (as you would know if you had read even her latest update) and I think he still has a lot to answer for. Whatever thinking made him cause his wife additional stress in such a situation is clearly a problem.

Italiangreyhound · 28/12/2018 10:09

TenForward82

"OP, stop defending yourself to these strange posters. The rest of us get it"

This with bells on.

It's unbelievable anyone would expect you to be in pain to avoid your children walking into an A and E department! O could not ever see my part re or anyone else in agony and prioritize my kids not being bored!

Please do ignore all moronic posts. (And sorry for all the typos in my previous posts!)

nellieellie · 28/12/2018 10:22

Just to add to what sensible posters have said. Some posters here are simply weird. You needed to go to A&E however inconvenient. Your DH was just being a silly child.

bastardkitty · 28/12/2018 10:31

Is weird code for trolls @nellieellie ? Wink

Tighnabruaich · 28/12/2018 10:47

Hope you're feeling better today ThisWayDown
I read the thread with steam coming out of my ears for the ignorant, glib and dismissive comments, quite often by people who seem to have either skimmed the thread or not read it at all.
Just wanted to wish you well.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 28/12/2018 10:56

Wow, Thisway - they keep on coming out of the woodwork, don't they!!
Fundamental lack of understanding of the seriousness of your injury, the potential long-term effects, and the fact that A&E gave you a full leg brace and non-OTC painkillers make them all think that you RICE and a couple of ibuprofen would have had you right as rain by morning! Shock

It would be hilarious if it wasn't so fucking tragic.

I'm glad that your DH has processed all this now and I agree that work needs to be done on your communications - him to find a better way to express his concern, and you to understand that his processing affects the outward expression of his concerns.

Now my DH has his own speciality when it comes to my health - he'll help out so long as it doesn't interfere with his work, or his tennis.
Had to deal with one MC by myself because he had a line manager visiting from head office, who was horrified when I phoned him and he told me to get the train home from the hospital.
And while I was in hospital with acute appendicitis (removed that night), I caused him to miss a tennis social thing, which upset him sufficiently that he felt moved to mention it to a mutual friend when he met him at the shops.
I feel so loved and cared for! Hmm

Yours might start off bad but at least he comes good once he's processed! Hope the heat hasn't been too bad, and you've got good aircon in your hotel. And good prawns! Xmas Grin

lazymare · 28/12/2018 10:56

There's a lot of it about. Nastiness on lots of threads for no reason other than boredom.

Booboostwo · 28/12/2018 10:56

I’ve never been diagnosed but I am fairly sure I am autistic.

ThisWayDown · 28/12/2018 11:42

Oh ThumbWitchesAbroad that is pretty shit! You poor thing.

I had some more prawns today, ate one for you Wink

OP posts:
DeepanKrispanEven · 28/12/2018 11:51

And while I was in hospital with acute appendicitis (removed that night), I caused him to miss a tennis social thing, which upset him sufficiently that he felt moved to mention it to a mutual friend when he met him at the shops.

I hope mutual friend told him he was being an arsehole?

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 28/12/2018 11:55

Thanks Thisway!

Deepan - said friend has his own level of arseholiness, but even he was a bit shocked and, while I don't know if he said anything to DH, he told me about it later cos he knew I'd say something to DH myself!

I'm used to him though - know he's not going to be there with the comfort or support if I'm ill, but he's good in other ways. I'm saving for a carer when I'm old Wink.

Italiangreyhound · 28/12/2018 12:05

ThumbWitchesAbroad I hope your dh compensates for his arsehattery in other ways!

My dh is not on the spectrum but is odd around medical things. When I was taken into hospital with a suspected heart attack (it wasn't but we didn't know that then) he asked me of I would be getting the bus home!

limitedperiodonly · 28/12/2018 12:26

If the OP had had chest pain, gone to A&E to rule out a heart attack, and it turned out to be indigestion, would you be telling her that she had been wasting A&E's time?

XXcstatic It's so reassuring to dreadful timewasters and drama queens like me to know that most medical staff are like you and that we should ignore idiots on Mumsnet.

I went to A&E with chest pains one Boxing Day night. I was pretty sure it was indigestion, as it turned out to be, but they got really bad so we got a taxi. I said sorry for wasting their time and the doctor said she'd rather tell me to lay off the rich food rather than have to tell my husband I was dead.

We walked home in the cold night air. It was romantic except for me burping and farting.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 28/12/2018 12:40

The number of A&E blood requests I used to get through while on call in the labs that were labelled "chest pain - ? MI [heart attack] ? AAA [aortic aneurysm] ? Indigestion" was amazing.
I can assure everyone that it was a HUGE relief when they turned out NOT to be AAAs at least! Although I quite often had to phone A&E to find that out - indigestion and MIs had no impact on my workload, but an AAA? HUGE potential impact.

And indigestion can be appallingly painful, especially trapped wind!

MrMakersFartyParty · 28/12/2018 13:06

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Swipe left for the next trending thread